Free The Desperate Journey by Kathleen Fidler Page B

children got more hardened towork in the mill, though Kirsty became pale and thin and lost some of her gay spirit. Their wages at least paid the rent and kept the family in oatmeal and salt herring and cheese. Mr McLaren was able to find Kate work cleaning in a big house for a shilling a week. Sometimes the lady for whom she worked gave her leftover food and that helped too, though there was never quite enough money for all their needs. Every now and again James had to dip into their small store of money to buy things like shoes, for the children could not run barefoot as they had done at Culmailie, though they often worked barefoot in the mill.
    Once the children were in danger of losing their jobs at the mill. It happened one morning when Kirsty had chilblains on her feet and could not run. As they approached the mill they heard the big bell that meant everyone had to be inside and ready to start work. The door was just closed as they reached the mill, but Davie, greatly daring, thrust it open, hoping they would he able to reach their places without the overseer noticing them. It so happened he was standing where Kirsty would have to pass him.
    “Late, are ye?” he shouted, “Trying to sneak past me, were you?” The strap descended heavily on Kirsty’s thin shoulders. Davie clenched his fists and rushed up to the overseer. “Don’t you dare touch my sister again!” he cried.
    The overseer’s arm was raised threateningly to strike Davie too but Kirsty came between them imploringly.
    “Please, sir, dinna strike Davie! It was my fault we were late. I’ve got a sore foot.”
    “I’ll teach you to hold up your fists to me, lad!” the overseer shouted, but just then there was a shriek from another part of the mill. “Tom Paton’s got his arm caught in the machinery!”
    The overseer rushed away to stop the machine and release the child, and Kirsty pulled Davie by the arm. “Come, Davie! Quick to our places! We canna afford to lose our work here.”
    Luckily for them the overseer was so occupied in getting theinjured lad away that he forgot about the boy who had defied him.
    Kate was worried about other matters too, besides the hard life her children had to lead. Desperate characters lived in their part of the city.
    “I’ve been thinking, James, is it safe for you to carry our money in your belt? Suppose you were set on by thieves? There was a young man robbed in the Trongate only last week.”
    “Where will I put it, then?” James asked. “Shall I hide it among the straw in the mattress?”
    “That would be the first place a thief would look. There are times when we’re all out of the house, when I’m cleaning for Mistress Houston and you’re looking for work. Would you no’ be better to give the money into the keeping of someone you can trust?”
    “And who could I trust?”
    “What about Mr McLaren, the minister?”
    “Why, yes, that’s a good notion. I’ll ask him to keep the money for us,” James agreed.
    Mr McLaren hesitated at first, then at last he said, “Very well, on condition that if my house is burgled, you do not hold me responsible for your money.”
    “I’ll take that risk, sir,” James said, and then wrote down his name and address for the minister again.
    Now and again James got work helping to unload small ships at the Broomielaw, mainly cargoes of potatoes from Ireland, but once the potato harvest was over the work finished, and James was unemployed again, with the winter coming on. It proved a hard winter for the Murrays, for Kate was taken ill. She lay coughing in the box-bed.
    “Shall I bring a doctor to you, lass?” James asked anxiously.
    “You know we canna afford one, James. I’ll be all right soon. Put the kettle on and give me a warm drink to ease the cough.”
    James lifted the kettle. “We’re oot o’ water again!” he cried in exasperation. “Dear knows what I’d give for that spring o’ clearwater at our door at Culmailie, instead o’ that well in